Dear friends
What a joy to
receive a few days ago fresh news from the very first correspondent of “Foi
et Vie Réformées”: T.A.
from Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria, wrote to us in December 2000, telling us that he had
been able to follow 8 of our programmes on Short Waves, and how much they had
meant to him. In his recent e-mail,
T.A. writes: “I always think of you every time I read the documents which
you sent to me, for which I greatly thank you.
It is as if you are present in my heart. Generally speaking everything goes well, without taking into
consideration the various trials which we have to endure; for in our life as
Christians, trials are necessary for our steadfastness and maturing.
Dear brother, to write to you and to read you always teaches me something
about faith. Do not hesitate to
contact me again.”
What T.A.
does not explicitly mention in his message is that Christians in Algeria are
exposed to possible persecution by the G.I.A., i.e. the radical Muslim
militia, which do not hesitate to savagely murder those considered to be enemies
of Islam. So when T.A. speaks of
“trials”, I guess we have to read between the lines.
This
situation illustrates what a recent enquiry brought to the light:
Since the time of the Catacombs (these subterranean cemeteries where
Christians used to bury their dead and hold worship services during times of
persecution by Roman emperors), never have Christians been so much persecuted
than during our epoch. The
twentieth century has seen an unprecedented wave of anti-Christian fury, not
only in Europe (with the Nazi and especially the Communist regimes) but also in
Asia and in Africa. We hear very
little of what is really happening, but from time to time a news report or a
personal letter comes to remind us of the plight of the underground Church of
Jesus-Christ: this Church is fighting under the banner of the Cross, to borrow
an expression which John Calvin once used to describe a similar situation.
In this context, we can better appreciate the possibility of proclaiming the Gospel through Short Waves, as these do not know national borders and do not stop there where oppressive regimes start exercising their evil rule. In many African countries (like Algeria, Mauritania, Libya etc.) Christians do not have the freedom to start their own radio stations. To receive some spiritual food they depend on broadcasts on Short or Medium Waves launched thousands of miles away from their homes.
“Foi et
Vie Réformées” is privileged to work with Christian organizations like
TransWorldRadio in order to access SW and convey the Gospel of truth and
salvation to thousands of men and women hungry for the Bread of Life.
T.A.’s e-mail, as well as
many other e-mails or letters of listeners, show that using air waves as a means
to proclaim God’s Counsel make the words of Isaiah 55:10-11 strikingly actual: “As
the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without
watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for
the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It
will not return empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose
for which I sent it.”
Dear friends
of “Foi et Vie Réformées”
be assured that God’s Holy Spirit is powerfully at work when we speak words
conform to the Word He inspired. Your
interest and prayers are vital for this ministry.
We thank you for your continued support.
In His name
Rev. Eric
Kayayan